I saw both nightbreed and dawn of the dead original recently so i have a few tips based on what i really enjoyed
1) add some humour - not necessarily leprechaun but similar to how the male characters were running around like they were in a fifties adventure movie
2) The scariest and coolest psycho i've seen is David Cronenburg in Nightbreed and he's also a human
3) Don't make all the victims helpless
4) Perhaps make the psycho/monster/whatever sympathetic depeding on the type of movie you are making
5)don't ever start with a sense of cliched normality such as in slasher flicks
6) You can cover up anything too contrived with tension or adrenalin
ok as a lover of horrors id have to say you need to expand on what weve seen if you want to make it goodon the realism side exorsist did its job as at the time no-one had really done a true to life horror before ,on a visual side the first real one for my was hellraiser and on an utter fiction side you had freddy and the like now we have clever plot twists and "jump scenes" which are all cool but not quite (in my opinion) a point of horror whatever you do try to give it some=thing either as new as possable(nothing is ever origanal) or expand as much as posssable on an already great idea but never mimic. and wud love to hear where your goin with it so far so we can give you better ideas.
Despite horror is about the actions of the killer, usually the main focus remains on the victims, as they have the lead roles and the stories revolve around them, with the killer as 'just' something they have to deal with.
I suggest using the killer's point of view, explaining his motivations and emotions, and maybe even the doubts he/she/it has concerning it's actions. And opposed to that, also the satisfaction it gets from it's deeds that forces it to continue.
For the victims, stay away from the cliche characters of course, and make them or plausible targets for the killer as well as challenging, make the killer have to put blood sweat and tears in getting his goals.
Originally posted by Pandemoniaclike in the book In Cold Blood
Despite horror is about the actions of the killer, usually the main focus remains on the victims, as they have the lead roles and the stories revolve around them, with the killer as 'just' something they have to deal with.
I suggest using the killer's point of view, explaining his motivations and emotions, and maybe even the doubts he/she/it has concerning it's actions. And opposed to that, also the satisfaction it gets from it's deeds that forces it to continue.